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Djibouti
Djibouti (also called Djibouti City; Arabic: مدينة جيبوتي‎, French: Ville de Djibouti, Somali: Magaalada Jabuuti, Afar: Magaala Gabuuti) is a small country situated in "The Horn of Africa" bordering Eritrea to the West, Somalia to the East, and Ethiopia to the South. Djibouti City has a population of around 562,000 inhabitants,2 which counts for over 70% of the country's population. The settlement was founded in 1888 by the French, on land leased from the ruling Somali and Afar Sultans. During the ensuing period, it served as the capital of French Somaliland and its successor the French Territory of the Afars and Issas. Known as the Pearl of the Gulf of Tadjoura due to its location, Djibouti City is strategically positioned near the world's busiest shipping lanes and acts as a refueling and transshipment center. The Port of Djibouti is the principal maritime port for imports to and exports from neighboring Ethiopia. Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport is the main domestic airport, connecting the capital to various major global destinations. Djibouti City has the second-largest economy of any city in the Horn of Africa after Addis Ababa. Description Appearance Male As a male, Djibouti can often be found wearing a bright red handkerchief along with a sleeveless shirt. Female As a female, Djibouti is wearing a traditional dress coupled with gold jewels adorning her. Personality They are a quiet and humble and satisfied person, majority of the time they wouldn't look to physical fights as a solution, sometimes Djibouti can be quite playful but would place safety first in any activity. Djibouti is easy to pick on, some Western nations, due to their name, laugh, Djibouti does not find it funny and can lose their cool or cry at certain times. Djibouti as much as they are kind does have a slight issue with their neighbour and sibling Eritrea. Interests To this day, Djibouti continues to be an active peacekeeper in Africa, hosting multiple military bases and showing interest in being involved in trades. They are keen on becoming a responsible person and can be trusted by nearly every nation. Flag Meaning The blue on the flag of Djibouti represents the Somalis and Afars living in the nation, the green represents the greenery and nature while the white represents the peace. The red star on the flag symbolizes the unity and bloodshed from martyrs of independence. Other Symbols The Djibouti coat of arms symbolizes the main ethnicities in the country. Nicknames "Jabuuti" - Somalia "Yabuuti"- Eritrea ''Former Names'' History (French Djibouti) The Republic of Djibouti gained its independence on June 27, 1977. It is the successor to French Somaliland (later called the French Territory of the Afars and Issas), which was created in the first half of the 19th century as a result of French interest in the Horn of Africa. However, the history of Djibouti, recorded in poetry and songs of its nomadic peoples, goes back thousands of years to a time when Djiboutians traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of ancient Egypt, India, and China. Through close contacts with the Arabian Peninsula for more than 1,000 years, the Somali and Afar tribes in this region became the first on the African continent to adopt Islam. The area of Djibouti was once used by nomadic tribes who raised livestock. The Afars of eastern Ethiopia and the Issas of Somalia were the earliest tribes in the region. Archaeological investigation in the west and north confirm settlement of this area by Oromo and other Cushitic peoples now dwelling in Ethiopia. Islamic communities that developed in the lowlands of the Horn of Africa likely supplied troops to conflicts between the Islamic lowlands and the Christian highlands of Ethiopia. Nearly all of the geographic names in Djibouti are of Afar origin, suggesting their lengthy presence in the region. Issa-Somali ethnic expansion into the Horn has been studied extensively, but little is known about the confrontation between the Afars and the Issas who spread north into Djibouti. Historians believe the arrival of foreigners — Turks, Egyptians, British, French, and Italians — caused greater population movements into the interior. Prior to French colonial rule, the area was sparsely populated with only a few trade routes. Islam was introduced to the country around 825 AD by the Arab traders. The Afars and the Issa Somali clans long used the severe interior lands of this region for nomadic herding and carried out trade at small coastal ports for perfumes and spices from Egypt and eastern Asia. The sometimes tense relations between these two groups have been a recurring theme in the history of Djibouti since before the colonial era. Until the mid-19th century, historical references to the region now occupied by the Republic of Djibouti are relatively sparse. During the 12th through the mid-17th century, the Djibouti region was part of the Adal Muslim kingdom. Beginning in the early 17th century, the Adal kingdom gradually weakened. Several small sultanates filled the power void, including the Sultanate of Tadjoura. Modern-day Djibouti’s coastal region was of limited maritime importance until the last century and a half. Much of the trade from Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) flowed through the ports of Massawa (in modern-day Eritrea) and Zeila (in northwestern Somalia). Although coastal settlements existed at Tadjoura and Obock on the northern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura, they were backwater ports in comparison to Massawa and Zeila. Of the two Djibouti port towns, Tadjoura was the busiest, handling caravan trade to and from the interior. Slaves were among the trade items bartered at the Tadjoura waterfront. Although a few French scientific expeditions to Abyssinia during the late 1830s/early 1840s explored the Djiboutian coast and hinterland, French presence did not begin until 1855. During that year, Henri Lambert, the French Consul in Aden, visited Tadjoura. While in the region, Lambert established a relationship with Aboubaker Ibrahim Chehem, who at the time was the pasha (governor) of Zeila. After Lambert helped secure Aboubaker’s release from prison after the latter man was charged with embezzlement by a political rival, Aboubaker offered to cede to the French the coastal strip around Obock. Lambert’s assassination in 1859, most likely plotted by Aboubaker’s rival, put the French acquisition of Obock on hold for a few years. By 1862, however, the French had acquired by treaty territorial cession for all of the modern-day Djibouti coast stretching from southwest of Obock to the present-day northern coastal border with Eritrea. The French raised their flag at Obock, but for nearly 20 years they otherwise ignored their new foothold on the Red Sea coast. Even the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 did not provide sufficient motivation for the French to exploit the Obock port. French colonial wars in Madagascar and Indochina during the 1880s finally spurred the development of Obock, which became a coaling station for French ships traveling along the East African coast. Beginning in 1884, Léonce Lagarde, the French commandant at Obock, negotiated a series of treaties of alliance and protection with local sultans in the region of modern-day Djibouti. One of these treaties was signed in 1885 by chiefs of a Somali subclan known as the Issas. This treaty established France’s presence in the stretch of coastline that is now the site of Djibouti city. Organisations and Affiliates The Arab League The OIC The United Nations The African Union Politics Government Politics of Djibouti takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the executive power is exercised by the President and the Government. Legislative power is vested in both the Government and the National Assembly. The party system and legislature are dominated by the socialist People's Rally for Progress. In April 2010, a new constitutional amendment was approved.1 The President serves as both the head of state and head of government, and is directly elected for single six-year term. Government is headed by the President, who appoints the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the latter. There is also a 65-member chamber of deputies, where representatives are popularly elected for terms of five years. Administratively, the country is divided into five regions and one city, with eleven additional district subdivisions. Djibouti is also part of various international organisations, including the United Nations and Arab League. Public Views Geography and Climate Djibouti is, in essence, a vast desert wasteland. From the narrow coastal plain, the land rises in the north to a small series of mountains. Central and south Djibouti is covered by a stony desert and scattered volcanic plateaus crisscrossed by deep, time-worn troughs, some with shallow salt water lakes. The highest point, Moussa Ali at 6,768 ft (2,063 m), is a stratovolcano whose last eruption was over 12,000 years ago; the lowest point of the country is Lake Assal at -508 ft (-155 m). Lake Assal, also the lowest point of Africa, is located in central-eastern Djibouti, and is a crater lake whose salinity levels are 10x that of the sea. Lake Assal is the one of the most saline bodies of water, after Don Juan Pond, and is the world's largest salt reserve. There are no significant rivers in Djibouti. Relationships Family * Kingdom of Punt - Unknown * Sultanate of Dawaro - Great Great Grandparent * Showa/Shewa Sultanate - Great Grandparent (extended family) * Ifat Sultanate - Great Grandparent * Adal Kingdom/Sultanate - Great Grandparent (a relative of Ifat) * Sultanate/Emirate of Harar - Grandparent (child of Adal) * Afar Kingdom (AKA Sultanate of Aussa) - Grandparent (child of Adal) * Majerteen Sultanate - Grandparent * Hobyo Sultanate - Uncle//Aunt (child of Hiraab) * Tadjoura Sultanate - Parent * France - Stepfather * Ethiopia - Sibling * Somalia - Sibling * Eritrea - Sibling * Somaliland - Nephew * The Dervish State - Nephew (KIA) Friends * United Kingdom * Saudi Arabia * Switzerland * Palestine * Qatar * Yemen Neutral * Qatar(to some extent) Enemies * Eritrea * Iran Opinions France France and Djibouti maintain a close diplomatic tie. Both nations have an embassy in their capital, while Djibouti holds France's Naval military base as well. Somalia Djibouti and Somalia maintain close relations owing to their shared history and similar demographic composition, with the Somali ethnic group constituting the majority population element in both countries. Other than both religion and culture being similar, Somalia and Djibouti are in several different organizations together. Djibouti has shown a continuous affection to Somalia despite some neglect and accusations caused by the other. Eritrea Conflicts have occurred due to tensions rising between both countries in a disagreement of the Doumeira islands. Both nations claiming it as theirs and in constant battle for custody. Djibouti's last armed conflict with Eritrea was in 2008. Currently, hostility continues to persist in the region. Yemen Both Yemen and Djibouti have close ties. Some cases of Yemeni refugees have begun to appear, refugees in Yemen seeking escape from war find themselves coming across Djiboutian ships and patrols on the border. Some refugees from Yemen escape directly to Somalia before crossing into Djibouti. Ethiopia Djibouti and Ethiopia have an excellent and strong partnership. Djibouti helps Ethiopia to create an open route to the Red Sea since Ethiopia has become landlocked after Eritrea's separation. As a result, Ethiopia is on the way to creating new shipping markets and its own marine force. Both nations have agreed on a pipeline between the two countries as well as a new train passage across the borders. Qatar Qatar and Djibouti have worked positively in the past, with some organizations they have collaborated in multiple fields to keep order on the borders of Eritrea and Djibouti, as well as the Doumeira islands. Qatari peace keepers have helped to maintain the stability in that region. Due to the Qatar Crisis of 2016, Djibouti aligned with Saudi Arabia and as a result Qatari soldiers were removed from the area. It is speculated that tensions between Eritrea and Djibouti would heigten with Qatar's sudden withdrawal. Yet, these last years it seems as though both nations could be secretly cooperating and otherwise leaving a more neutral feel than a harsher one. Trivia * One of the most stable country in the region it is located * Djibouti holds many foreign military bases including the US, France & China * Djibouti acts as a meditator and has stopped many problems Extra(s) References * https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/djibouti/history.htm * https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/djibouti/djland.htm * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Djibouti Category:Islamic Countries Category:Africa Category:Country Category:Characters Category:Latin countries Category:Francophones Category:Arabian countries Category:Republics Category:The Sahara Countries Category:Everything